Journalists detained outside Ohio tank plant file lawsuit

2 years ago

(Toledo, Ohio(AP))--An Ohio newspaper and two of its journalists have filed a federal lawsuit against the government after a reporter and photographer were detained and had cameras confiscated at a tank plant.

The lawsuit filed Friday by the Blade newspaper in Toledo says the staffers were illegally detained by military police and their constitutional rights were violated.

The newspaper says the pair was detained for about an hour last week outside the tank plant in Lima.

Military police told them photography of the plant was prohibited. The lawsuit says photographer Jetta Fraser's cameras were confiscated and that she was handcuffed and later threatened.

The lawsuit was filed against four military police officers, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, and a plant official.

A message seeking comment was not immediately returned by the Defense Department.